Botiidae
# Botiidae

Botiidae is a family of cypriniform ray-finned fishes from South, Southeast, and East Asia. Until recently they were placed in the true loach family Cobitidae, until Maurice Kottelat revised the loaches and re-elevated this taxon to family rank in 2012. The family includes about 56 species.

The Botiids are more robust than most of their relatives in Cobitidae and tend to have a more or less arched back, yielding an altogether more fusiform shape. Botiids typically have a pointed snout of intermediate length, while many cobitids are remarkably stub-nosed.

Botiids are generally fairly small, with maximum lengths between 6 and 30 cm (2.4 and 11.8 in) depending on the species involved, although Leptobotia elongata reaches 50 cm (20 in) (Chromobotia macracanthus has been claimed to reach a similar size, but this would be exceptional).

## As aquarium fish

Many of the more brightly colored species are popular with freshwater aquarists, so are of importance in the aquarium trade. Botiidae often encountered in aquarium trade include:

* Clown loach, Chromobotia macracanthus
* Red-finned loach, Yasuhikotakia modesta
* Dwarf loach, Ambastaia sidthimunki
* Skunk loach, Yasuhikotakia morleti
* Yoyo loach, Botia almorhae
* Zebra loach, B. striata
* Bengal loach, B. dario
* Burmese border loach, B. kubotai
